usually a pretty big media spectacle, too, so you get a lot of
coverage. We also have no rules for visiting chefs, so we let
them do whatever they want: chicken, ranch, pineapple—
whatever they like! Our customers and the media get a
kick out of that. Finally, you get great ideas. One of our
early guest chefs made an amazing vegetarian pizza, and
I loved the way he prepped the mushrooms, which we
could then incorporate into our own prep process.
Dorsey: Existing brands create pop-ups for experience
marketing, which is huge right now. It’s a great way to
utilize a different space and to challenge what consumers
think of your concept. You kind of have a blank slate,
because you’re not confined to how your restaurant looks
or is seen. It’s a good way to extend your brand. But there
are a lot of unexpected costs and preplanning needs that
people should be aware of!
Woodhouse: Having a cross-promotion with an established business gives you the opportunity to instantly
create a level of trust, because you’re promoting to another
company’s customer base. You don’t have to invest a large
amount of cash for a new, hopefully viable sales stream,
and you get great content to share with your followers on
social media, complete with photos. It shows that your
business is creative, flexible and cool. And you’re able to
gain cash flow in both typically slower sales seasons and
busier times.
PMQ: WHAT TYPE OF POP-UP PARTNERS WORK
BEST WITH PIZZERIAS?
Jerrier: Work with anyone who has a good following
in your town: food truck guys, big-name chefs, media
personalities (especially if they’re not cooks), even food
writers. We had Daniel Vaughn, the barbecue editor for
Texas Monthly, in for a night; he made a couple of amazing
pizzas, and he’s just a home cook! With pop-ups, we’re
trying to generate buzz and a crowd, so your best bet is
“Pop-ups are also a good
way to bring two different
crowds together; you get
the opportunity to introduce
your restaurant to the fans
of the visiting chef, and your
regular customers get to try
something unique at their
favorite restaurant.”
—JAY JERRIER, CANE ROSSO
Texas-based Cane Rosso plans to
pop up in locales as far away as
Toronto and New York, using these
opportunities to share its delicacies
and undertake culinary research.
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